


Let's Talk About Love

by happy29



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23052049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happy29/pseuds/happy29
Summary: Steve and Charlie have a heart to heart about their Danno.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 17
Kudos: 264





	Let's Talk About Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ERamos9696](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ERamos9696/gifts), [Dunic02](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dunic02/gifts).



Danny sat on the counter with his notebook and pen in his lap. It had turned into his chosen spot, both at the start and end of the day. He rolled the mug of freshly brewed coffee between his hands, stealing the warmth. The night air had turned chilly and he welcomed the little bit of heat to offset the cool. He blew across the top of his mug, hoping not to singe the tip of his tongue when he dared that first sip. He breathed in the aroma of roasted Hawaiian coffee beans and sighed with content. Who needed to go out, when you could sit on the counter and drink coffee? 

He stared at Steve, quietly observing his partner as he ironed his button down shirt. “Who is it tonight?” he asked as he attempted another sip of the steaming brown liquid. He made a mental note and then one in his journal book to buy more hazelnut creamer in the morning. Steve swears by his organic butter, but the level in the creamer bottle had mysteriously dwindled quicker than normal and he knew it wasn’t him that was over indulging. “Brooke? Emma?” Danny crossed his feet at the ankles and silently told himself not to kick the cupboard doors with his heels. His mother would have shooed him off the counter the second he had hopped up and claimed residence with his ass.

Steve tried to hide his amused smile at Danny Williams trying to sit still. He glanced up from the ironing mission. “Uh, neither, actually.” He returned his attention back to the shirt. “Her name is Natalie.”

“ _Natalie_ ?” Danny drew out her name, overly enunciating each syllable just to be the slightest bit annoying. His curiosity was piqued and he made a questionable face. “Interesting. She’s new.” He realized he had abandoned his coffee in favor of talking with his hands. “So, uh, where did you meet _Natalie_?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Steve pressed out a few more wrinkles and admired his work. 

“Try me,” Danny said as he rolled his eyes and hopped off the counter, snatching the shirt out of Steve’s outstretched hands. “You want to look good? Let me do this.” He made a shooing motion with his free hand and laid the shirt back on the outstretched towel, smoothing it out under his hands before working his magic with the iron. “So, again, where did you meet her?”

Steve leaned against the counter and watched Danny work the wrinkles out of his dress shirt. He could have sworn he had just used the same technique, but Danny was making progress where he was just creating more wrinkles. 

“Steve?” Danny commanded his attention.

“Huh?” his head snapped up from the shirt to meet blue eyes. 

“Natalie. Where did you meet her?”

“Oh. Uh,” Steve’s attention was drawn back to the shirt being pressed. “How do you do that so quickly? And on the first try even?”

Danny chuckled and tipped the iron on its end to rest. He turned it off and carefully handed the shirt to his bewildered partner. “Back in Jersey, I dressed like a detective everyday. Been doing this non-stop for over twenty years.” He gave his partner a wide smile. “You could learn a thing or two from me.”

“Wow,” Steve admired the smooth shirt in his hands. “I do know how to iron, you know.”

“Sure you do.” Danny moved back to his spot and hopped back up onto the counter with little effort. He picked up his mug and took a long drink of his warm coffee. “I just know how to do it more efficiently.” He waggled his eyebrows at Steve. “You should keep me around, I’d save you a lot of money on your electric bill with all of this ironing you’ve been doing lately.”

“Yeah, maybe I should. Except you take really long showers so that would offset the ironing.”

“You saying you don’t want to keep me around?”

“What?” Steve was taken aback. “No. I told you before you can stay as long as you want.”

“I appreciate that. Thank you.” Danny tugged on the corner of his ear. “I should go back home though. I mean, I’m paying for a place I’m not even staying at. That’s not financially smart at all when you have two kids to put through college.”

“Is it ready? I mean complete, no construction guys to dance around when you get up in the morning or get home at night?”

“They are packing it all up this weekend and I can start to move my stuff back in next week.”

Junior walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of water. “You got a date?”

“He does,” Danny answered on Steve’s behalf. “A uh, Natalie, although he still has yet to tell me where he met her.” Danny put a hand up to his mouth to block Steve’s view of his lips. “I think she’s a fake,” he loudly whispered, knowing Steve would be able to hear him. He turned his head to gauge Steve’s reaction and was met with a towel to the face.

“Very funny, Detective Williams. As a matter of fact, I met Natalie at the garden center when I was picking up a load of mulch for the backyard.” Steve pointed his finger from one friend to the other. “Which you two are going to help me shovel in lieu of rent.” 

Danny just rolled his eyes while Junior gave a quick nod and “Yes sir.” 

“Anyway, Natalie is going to help me pick out some flowers this weekend to add some color back there.”

“Nice one, Commander.” Junior held up his fist and Steve met it with a fist bump. 

Danny just rolled his eyes. He was getting quite good at that these days. “You need a shirt ironed as well? I’m sure you’ve got a date with Tani.”

“Thank you, But no. Tonight is casual.”

“Casual, huh?” Danny questioned. 

“Dinner at the beach.”

“Sounds like a good time,” Steve said with an approving smile.

“What are your plans tonight, Danny?” Junior asked before draining half the bottle of water in one long gulp.

“Probably going to do some reading, maybe win a million bucks on the slot machines app on my phone. If that’s the case, just a heads up, I won’t be at work Monday or any day after that.”

“You bet real money on that thing?” Junior asked. He couldn’t tell if Danny was serious or not.

Danny shook his head in disbelief at how gullible Junior still was after two years with 5-0. “Do you really think I’m that stupid? I have two kids I have to feed.”

“No, sir.” Junior played with the cap on his bottle of water. “I didn’t mean to imply…”

“Forget it. Go on, leave, the both of you. Enjoy your dates. Have a good night. I promise not to wait up.”

“You can have my bed if you want. I won’t be back tonight.”

“Thank you, but no. I made space in Mary’s old room. I’m good.”

“When did you do that?” Steve questioned.

“When you were on your last date. I was antsy so I did some cleaning.”

“I can cancel if you want,” Steve said abruptly as Danny was pushing both men out of the kitchen. “Help you clean out the rest of the room. I can pick out flowers anytime.”

Danny huffed out a small chuckle. “That would have been nice a month ago when I was still on the couch. Go, enjoy your date. I’ll be fine. Besides, I need to go back home soon anyway.”

“But at least the room would be ready when the next disaster strikes your house.” Steve countered.

“Now you’re just being stupid. Please go. You’re not spending the evening with me out of pity because you two have a date and I don’t. I’m fine. Really.”

~*~

Steve worked his key into the lock and quietly pushed the door open to his home. The light was on and there was a flickering of colors in the window when he pulled in the drive and figured Danny had fallen asleep on the couch again. So much for clearing out a spot in Mary’s room. He mentally kicked himself in the shin for not offering to make more space for Danny when he first showed up with false claims of mold and then later an actual broken sewer line. He stepped through the door expecting to see some infomercial on air fryers or gold coins on the TV and Danny sound asleep on the couch. Instead he saw Woody and Buzz Lightyear on the TV and Charlie Williams stuffing popcorn into his tiny mouth and his dad fast asleep on the opposite end of the couch.

“Charlie,” Steve whispered. “What are you doing here?”

“Shh, Danno is sleeping. Mommy is sick so she asked Danno if I could stay with him and he picked me up.”

Steve closed the door and pointed to Danny. “How long has he been asleep?”

“Since Woody saved Buzz from that mean kid’s house.”

“And what part of the movie are you on now?” Steve asked, attempting to gauge how long Danny had been asleep in adult terms.

“I’m in the third movie. That was the first one.”

“So awhile then? How are you still awake?”

“Chocolate.”

“That will do it.” Steve pulled the afghan off the back of the couch and covered Danny with it. His partner didn’t move except to snuggle into the warmth of the blanket.

“Daddy said you had a date.”

“I did, yes.”

“Do you like her?”

“She’s a very nice lady. Even helped me pick out some flowers for the backyard.” Steve pointed to the kitchen. “You want some ice cream?”

Charlie’s eyes grey wide. “Can I really?”

Steve smiled warmly at the little boy who was a lot like his father. “Danno’s asleep. We won’t tell him.”

Charlie carefully unfolded himself and followed Steve into the kitchen. Steve picked him up and put him in Danny’s corner spot on the counter as he got out two bowls and the chocolate peanut butter ice cream.

“That’s Danno’s favorite,” Charlie almost squealed with delight. “Mommy won’t buy it anymore.”

“Well that’s kinda sad, dontcha think?” 

Charlie nodded and accepted the bowl of ice cream.

Steve smiled in return. This kid wasn’t going to bed any time soon.

“Uncle Steve, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, Charlie. You can ask me anything.”

Charlie put his spoon in his bowl and put on his most serious face. “Do you love Danno like Woody loves Buzz, or do you love him Like Woody loves Bo Peep?”

“What brought that up, Charlie?” Steve stared at the little version of his partner and his heart melted. Who was he trying to fool? 

“Danno said you had a date and he seemed kinda sad that it wasn’t with him.”

“He was sad, huh? He told you that?”

“I’m not a baby anymore, Uncle Steve.” Charlie said matter of fact.

Steve reached over and ruffled Charlie’s blond hair and he wished he could allow himself to do the same with Danny. “When did you grow up?”

“So, Bo Peep or Buzz?” Charlie asked again.

Steve shifted and leaned against the counter, his bowl of ice cream long forgotten. “Did you ask Danno the same question?”

Charlie nodded, scooped a heap of ice cream into his mouth.

_“And?”_ Steve questioned when he didn’t get a response. Conversations with children sometimes took way longer than necessary.

“He said it didn’t matter. You were picking out flowers with another Bo Peep.”

“Oh.”

Oh…

_OH!_

“How about we get you tucked into bed.”

“But I’m not sleepy,” Charlie protested.

“You will be when that little head of yours hits the pillow. How about Junior’s bed?”

“What about Danno?”

“Well,” Steve scooped Charlie off the counter and tucked him into his side. He was still small enough to carry around and that was just fine with Steve. “I think I’m going to put you to bed, wake Danno up and the two of us are going to stay up and finish watching your movie and maybe talk about Bo Peep.”

“And how much you love Bo Peep?”

“Yes. And how much I _love_ Bo Peep.” 

“But not the flower Bo Peep, right Uncle Steve?”

“Right, Charlie. I think Danno is my Bo Peep.”

  
  
  



End file.
